Gov. George Pataki congratulates honoree
Chazz Palminteri |
ITALIAN
AMERICAN MUSEUM
Pataki,
Gargano Endorse
Idea
Whose Time Has Come
Story by Tim Boxer
Photo
by Rob Rich
 MERICAN
society owes a great deal to its Italian immigrants. Just ask George
Pataki, New York’s esteemed governor who is quite proud of his
heritage. He was the highlight of an inaugural dinner for the
Italian American Museum.
The
event at The Plaza was sponsored by the John D. Calandra Italian
American Institute of Queens College. The fundraising effort will
underwrite the first museum dedicated to preserving the cultural
contributions of Italian Americans.
“This
is an idea whose time has come,” declared Dr. Joseph V. Scelsa,
museum president. The Rev. Monsignor George J. Cascelli
called it “long overdue.”
“There
are many ethnic museums here – German, Greek, Jewish, Swiss –
but no Italian museum,” said Laura Savini, vice president
of WLIW-TV. “Yet the Italians are the ones who literally built New
York.”
Charles
Gargano, chairman
of Empire State Development Corporation wholeheartedly agreed as he
introduced the governor.
“He
[Pataki] shares with us our Italian heritage,” Gargano said. “He
and I traveled to Italy where he met the relatives of his maternal
grandfather.”
Pataki
spoke lovingly of his roots. He went to Reggio di Calabria where his
maternal grandfather was born.
“I
saw the dirt cabin he was raised in. At 12 he came to America, which
to many meant New York. He raised a successful family and had a
grandchild who is the governor of the State of New York.”
“That’s
the Italian American experience. Italian Americans led this city and
state to great heights.”
Pataki
enthusiastically endorsed the museum, which called “an absolutely
critical part of our city.”
e
honorees for the gala were Lawrence E. Auriana, president of
the Columbus Citizens Foundation and chairman of Federated Kaufmann
Funds; Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, owner of
Felidia’s Ristorante and author of Lidia’s Italian American
Kitchen; actor Chazz Palminteri, and Guy J. Velella,
senior assistant majority leader in the New York State Senate.
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